By Ulises Canales, Prensa Latina,
Sharm El Sheik, Egypt : The withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza was one of the objectives of discussion of a summit between Egypt and European leaders although many got ahead and blessed the unilateral Israeli truce.
The meeting that started in this Spa of the Red Sea was convened by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in his attempt to rescue the cease fire plan submitted a few weeks ago with his French peer Nicolas Sarkozy that includes agreements between the nations at war.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert praised Saturday night an alleged military victory over the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) and declared unilateral cease fire although he recognized Sunday that the decision is fragile and changeable.
Olmert announced the Israeli soldiers will remain in Gaza streets and clearly expressed the power to attack the Islamist troops when necessary and he rejected all commitment for opening border crossing or lift the blockade as Hamas demanded.
In fact, in hardly six hours after the controversial truce came into effect the Israeli air force bombed Beit Hanoun and Jebaliyah in the North and Khan Younis in the South, killing one civilian in this last place while Hamas launched about 10 rockets and mortars.
The matter is to consolidate that truce so as to make possible a long-lasting cease fire, noted the Egyptian foreign ministry’s spokesman Hossam Zaki.
Mubarak and the president of the Palestinian National Authority (ANP) Mahmoud Abbas pledged for a long-lasting peace only viable with the total withdrawal of Israeli invading troops from the Strip where they have killed over 1,260 and wounded about 5,200.
Egypt and the ANP have pledged for a mutual understanding between Israeli and Islamist in Gaza that will end in a long-term peace although they repeated US and Europe speeches rejecting Palestinian Islamic the right to confront Israeli occupation.
Analysts agreed here that despites the language the summit is aimed at giving international support to the Israeli proposal without taking into account Hamas position and even without ruling out to attribute ANP activities in Gaza that will make old rivalry even more acute
Presidents of France, Turkey, the Germany foreign affairs minister and the Head of Government from Great Britain, Spain and Italy along with the UN Secretary General worked together for coordinating a policy to avoid an eventual resumption of belligerence in Gaza, along with other personalities.